Bridge Division (BRG)

The Bridge Division provides in-house expertise and assistance
to the districts, divisions, and offices in all aspects of structural
project development, design, construction, maintenance, and inspection.
The division is involved in research, value engineering studies,
partnering with contractors, and general support to TxDOT districts
and other divisions. The division assists the districts with the
implementation of innovative methods and materials to reduce the
impact of construction on the public, improve long-term performance
and durability, and develop aesthetically attractive structures.

Bridges are the most visible elements of the transportation
system, and they create an emotional impact on the user. The Bridge
Division develops aesthetically appropriate bridges as requested
by the districts, creating custom designs that consider site, local
architecture, span length, structural safety, durability, and maintenance
on a case-by-case basis.

The Bridge Division manages the Unified Transportation Program
(UTP) Category 6 funds. These funds are divided into three subcategories:
the Bridge Maintenance and Improvement Program (includes the Rail
Replacement Program), the Highway Bridge Program, and the Railroad
Grade Separation Program. The Bridge Division uses these funds to
facilitate maintenance and safety improvements to the State’s on-system
bridges, and rehabilitation and/or replacement of structurally deficient
or functionally obsolete bridges on public highways, roads, and
streets both on and off the state system; and to replace highway-railroad
at-grade intersections with a new grade-separation structure, or
replace deficient existing highway-railroad underpasses. The division
achieves this by making optimal use of federal, state, and local
funding; and by helping local governments create a safer roadway
system by reducing the number of deficient bridges.

The Bridge Division also reduces design and construction time
and cost by standardizing bridge elements and by using standard
design drawings for bridge construction where possible. These
standard
drawings are available to the public, including cities and
counties, and can be accessed from the Bridge Division page of the
TxDOT website.

Historic bridges are also a priority for the Bridge Division.
The division works with the districts, the Texas Historical Commission
(THC), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Environmental
Affairs Division (ENV), and local entities to preserve this valuable
heritage.

The division strongly supports and is represented on many
state, national, and international engineering organizations including
the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP),
Transportation Research Board (TRB), American Concrete Institute
(ACI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Prestressed Concrete
Institute (PCI), American Segmental Bridge Institute (ASBI), American
Railway Engineers and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA), National
Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation
Center (HITEC), American Welding Society (AWS), and American Institute
of Steel Construction (AISC).

The Bridge Division is composed of four sections: Project
Development, Field Operations, Design, and Administration.

Environmental Affairs Division (ENV)

The Bridge Division’s Project Development Section and districts
coordinate with ENV to ensure all bridge projects comply with applicable
federal, state, and local environmental laws. ENV acts as consultant
to the districts, offering expertise on likely impacts caused by
a bridge project and required considerations and permits. Projects
that require involvement from the Environmental Division include:

The Bridge Division’s Project Development Section coordinates
with the Environmental Affairs Division’s Cultural Resources Section.
The coordination includes but is not limited to ensuring historic
bridge projects comply with applicable federal, state, and local
environmental laws. For more information, see the
Historic
Bridge Manual.

Financial Management Division (FIN)

The Bridge Division's Project Development Section coordinates
with the Financial Management Division's Letting Management Section.
The coordination includes, but is not limited to, the development
and monitoring of the 12-month and two-year letting schedules as
they pertain to the projects using the Category 6 funds, as well
as the submission of Federal Project Authorization Agreements (FPAA).

Maintenance Division (MNT), Maintenance Operations Section

Routine maintenance by the districts often uncovers problems
such as deterioration, cracking, warping, and accidental damage
due to vehicle collision. These problems are relayed through the Maintenance
Division -- Maintenance Operations Section to the Bridge Division’s
Project Development Section, or directly to the Project Development
Section from the District. The severity of the problem dictates
whether the Field Operations Section will perform an inspection
or condition survey.

MNT is the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) when there
is an emergency with an existing bridge or a bridge under construction.
BRG can provide inspections for structures damaged by vehicular
impact, flood, fire, or failures and make remediation recommendations.
MNT will help coordinate the State and/or Federal funding and any
necessary contracts for the bridge repair or replacement for emergency
projects.

The Bridge Division’s Project Development Section coordinates
with Rail Division’s Rail Safety Section to
obtain information and data on highway-railroad grade crossings
in order to identify and prioritize projects for the Railroad Grade
Separation Program discussed in Chapter 2.

Transportation Planning and Programming Division (TPP)

The Bridge Division’s Project Development Section coordinates
with the Transportation Planning and Programming (TPP) Division’s
Statewide Planning and Program Management Section and Traffic Analysis
Section. The coordination includes, but is not limited to, providing
and/or verifying Category 6 projects and project rankings for the
UTP as needed by TPP’s Statewide Planning and Program Management
Section and obtaining the average daily traffic (ADT) data reported
by the TPP’s Traffic Analysis Section.